Summer is the season of road trips. With grandparent visits, travel sports, or a weekend away, families are loading up the minivan and preparing for hours of very close proximity. While tablets have certainly made things easier, even they have their limits and the unending chorus of “are we there yet” is enough to make any parent want to yell, “I will turn this car around!”
To make the time pass more enjoyably for all, and to take a break from screen time, check out the new generation of amazing kids podcasts. Entertaining, educational, and not annoying for grownups, podcasts are a valuable secret weapon for traveling families. With shows to match every age level and interest, podcasts get your kids thinking and inspire conversations. These are readily available on many platforms like Apple Podcasts, Stitcher, Amazon Music, Spotify, and can be easily downloaded ahead of time.
Story Pirates
Story Pirates features sketch comedy and songs inspired by stories written and submitted by kids. Performed by an incredible ensemble cast and a slate of celebrity guests like Lin Manuel Miranda and Cecily Strong, the results are hilarious, creative, and best of all, spark storytelling in kid listeners. storypirates.com/podcast
Smash Boom Best
Get ready for your kids to call out slippery slope fallacies and ad hominem attacks when they see them! It features lively debate on funny topics like “Kraken vs Cyclops,” or “Lego vs Minecraft.” Kids learn new topics and the show teaches them how to defend their positions and listen critically to make informed decisions. smashboom.org
Circle Round
A-List actors bring to life fairytales and folklore from around the world in each 10-20 minute episode. Featuring stories of generosity, bravery, and kindness with diverse and unlikely heroes, Circle Round is full of imagination and conversation starters.wbur.org/podcasts/circleround
Wow in the World
Fast-paced, frenetic, and funny, Wow in the World takes kids on scientific explorations of everything from prehistoric swimming reptiles, to sea pickles, to what it’s like on Mars. Hosts Mindy and Guy Raz and their cast of eclectic characters and a pigeon pet invite kids to see the world like scientists, to explore, take chances, and learn from experts. tinkercast.com/shows/wow-in-the-world/
Winning Is Not Everything
Listening to conversations with top-tier athletes and coaches exploring the deeper elements of sports—coachability, adversity, handling loss, recruitment, teamwork, and resilience. From the NFL, to registered dieticians, to coaches, the deep catalog of episodes has something for athletes, sports parents, and fans of all types. winningisnoteverything.libsyn.com
Forever Ago
The sister podcast to the equally amazing show Brains On, Forever Ago explores the amazing history of both the extraordinary and ordinary throughout history—from mac and cheese, to emojis, to tomb raiders of the Egyptian pyramids. These deep dives are fun, informative, and brings to life parts of history even parents may not know about. brainson.org/collection/forever-ago-podcast
Who Smarted
Why are donuts called dough nuts? Why are pencils yellow? What do we know about the origins of the universe? Who Smarted hilariously answers the big historical and scientific questions on kids’ minds using jokes, games, interviews, and truly unique characters. whosmarted.com
Stories Podcast: A Bedtime Show for Kids of All Ages
As the name says, Stories Podcast is great storytelling for all ages. The weekly show features retelling of classic fairy tales and folklore, as well as original stories. The adventures are captivating and kids are invited to submit drawings of what they hear for the chance to be featured on the show’s social media. storiespodcast.com
Tumble
Tumble is a science podcast for kids created by a science journalist and a teacher. With interviews with subject experts, and perspectives from kid listeners, Tumble teaches kids both scientific facts, and does not shy away from the mistakes, false starts, and even fortunate accidents that come along with scientific progress. sciencepodcastforkids.com/podcast
Live from Mount Olympus
This series brings to life the rivalries, adventures, and jealousies of ancient Greek gods, goddesses, heroes, and mortals. Older kids dive into seasons exploring some of the most famous Greek myths in new ways by spending seasons getting to know Perseus, Persephone, and all the Olympian gods. onassis.org/initiatives/onassis-podcasts/live-from-mount-olympus
Antoinette
I also recommend “Little Stories for Tiny People”, which are bedtime stories, and “Cairo”. My 4 year old loves both of these.